Community outreach strategies used by three
nationally recognized museums are described and their
application to the broader museum field is
assessed. The museums described were selected for the
2005 Institute of Museum and Library Services
National Award, the highest honor that the nation
confers on museums for their contributions to their
communities. The recipients were COSI Toledo, Toledo,
Ohio, the Levine Museum of the New South, Charlotte,
North Carolina, and the Pratt Museum, Homer, Alaska.
The institutions are analyzed in terms of their
governance, institutional priorities, management
strategies, and communication style. Patterns of
practice emerge within the three institutions to
facilitate community involvement and collaboration.
These practices have application
within the broader museum field and include:
visionary leadership and shared decision making;
strategic positioning within the city; presenting
diverse perspectives; committing to long-term
collaborations; willingness to take risks;
staying in touch with the needs and interests of
communities; reflecting on and addressing internal
practices and public identity; and encouraging youth
involvement.
nationally recognized museums are described and their
application to the broader museum field is
assessed. The museums described were selected for the
2005 Institute of Museum and Library Services
National Award, the highest honor that the nation
confers on museums for their contributions to their
communities. The recipients were COSI Toledo, Toledo,
Ohio, the Levine Museum of the New South, Charlotte,
North Carolina, and the Pratt Museum, Homer, Alaska.
The institutions are analyzed in terms of their
governance, institutional priorities, management
strategies, and communication style. Patterns of
practice emerge within the three institutions to
facilitate community involvement and collaboration.
These practices have application
within the broader museum field and include:
visionary leadership and shared decision making;
strategic positioning within the city; presenting
diverse perspectives; committing to long-term
collaborations; willingness to take risks;
staying in touch with the needs and interests of
communities; reflecting on and addressing internal
practices and public identity; and encouraging youth
involvement.